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Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Joyful New Year! We will be back in action on Monday 11 January 2016 at the usual place , Kilmantin Arts Centre, Bridge Str., Wicklow Town at the usual time, 7.30pm.
Make it a New Years resolution and put pen to paper and let your thoughts or ideas flow!
See you then
Wicklow Writers! :)

Sunday, September 20, 2015

After a 3 month summer break, Wicklow Writers returned to meeting last Monday 14 September from 7.30p.m. at Kilmantin Arts, Bridgestreet, Wicklow. If you are interested in writing, pop down and say hello!

This week the members tried out another idea for a poem's structure. It was to create a poem that you could not only read from start to finish but also from finish to start! An 'upside down, right side up' poem , if you like.
This was J. Ted Voigt's attempt:

Seasons by J. Ted Voigt

coming up

Temperatures are

Falling

No longer are

Leaves

On their branches

Buds

Ended with

Frost

The idea stemmed from a poem by Chanie Gorkin called 'Worst Day Ever?' that was posted on poetrynation.com

Today was the absolute worst day everAnd don't try to convince me thatThere's something good in every dayBecause, when you take a closer look,This world is a pretty evil place.Even ifSome goodness does shine through once in a whileSatisfaction and happiness don't last.And it's not true thatIt's all in the mind and heartBecauseTrue happiness can be attainedOnly if one's surroundings are goodIt's not true that good existsI'm sure you can agree thatThe realityCreatesMy attitudeIt's all beyond my controlAnd you'll never in a million years hear me sayToday was a very good dayNow read it from bottom to top, the other way and see what Chanie really felt about her day. Pretty clever, don't you think?

On 16 August, Nora Fleming visited Gorey Writers to partake in their meeting. They came up with a group poem where each individual that attended gave one line towards the poem. They then put all the lines together to make one group poem. The poem was entitled "Courttown Woods".

Courttown Woods Back in the 50’s going to CourtownFishing for crocodilesThrowing a stickWhen I imagine a treeTrue happiness can be attainedIt brought back happy memoriesWe are dragons, we are realFound a place, so good to be here, all enriched by each other’s participationEach supporting each other, in fresh bedToday was the worst day ever,Caught a silver troutThere is something good in everydayTwo roads diverge in yellow woodIn leaves no step had trodden, blackClears the mind.by the members of Gorey Writers (that attended their meeting on 16 August 2015)
Some of the members of Wicklow Writers put a spin on the Group Poem (above) and tried to see if they could rearrange the lines to make another poem.

Sunday, May 3, 2015

Once again, Wicklow Writers will be participating in the Wicklow Arts Festival 2015.

On Saturday 23 May 2015, our very own Ted Voigt will be taking to his type writer at the Abbey Grounds to do his version of the 'Instapoem'. Ted's mission "A poem in an instant written especially for you!"

On Sunday 24 May 2015, Wicklow Writers will be hosting a poetry reading at the Cosmic Garden in the Ecology Centre of Dominican Convent, Wicklow Town. The weather during the past two years has been wonderful and the attendance has been fantastic. So do join us to either recite a poem, tell a story or just to listen.

Other Wicklow Writers news:

Martin Sword' s "Blackbird" was recently published in the 'Spontaneity.org number 7' e-magazine. It is always good news to be published and get your work out there. Do check out the e- magazine "Spontaneity" for a read.

Next Thursday 7 May 2015 is 'Poetry Day'. Some of the Wicklow Writers will be at the Bridge Cafe in Bray, Co. Wicklow at 2pm to recognise the day. Do come along and meet us on the day.

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A few of the Wicklow Writers came up with an Instant Poem of their own just for Ted!

"I Write for Money"

Said Ted 'I'll compose on the spot
Festival poems that are hot!
I'll write them for money
sad, poignant or funny
and I'll hope that you like them a lot!"

Martin Swords

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"Line up, come on in!"

Said Ted, "Come along to the Abbey!
I'll be there with me old Olivetee.
With a tappety, tap tap
I'll write you a rap
Or a verse with some style for some money!"

Monday, March 9, 2015

There will be no Wicklow Writers next Monday 16 March 2015 due to it being the night before St Patrick's Day. But we will be up and running again on Monday 23 March 2015.
Our homework is to write a poem or short story with the following words:
COTTON, WRITING, LUCKY, BRIDGE, PYJAMAS!

So tonight we revisited poems we had written in the past, we spoke of Haiku's and listened to some poems that were presented at the meeting.
We re-visited the idea of what makes a poem and what differentiates it from a prose. It was decided it was ok to have different styles of writing but how can the reader differentiate whether it is a poem we are presenting or a short prose? We read two examples from the same author in the group and decided, that even though both were labelled 'poems' one was geared more toward a prose and the other was more of a poem. We differentiated between the two by discussing how the two pieces sounded when read aloud, the rhthym, the words used, the air of mystery presented and the collaboration of the words that allowed you to use your imagination. Where did the piece carry you/ take you, if anywhere?
We did a bit of free writing by once again presenting five random words: BLACK, TOMORROW, ALOT, FAMILY and JEALOUS. We then wrote for a about 15 minutes.
This brought up a conversation on Advent and black bread! Where did it come from? What was it made of? So our task is to research the origins of 'Black Bread' during times of fasting!!

Ruth

Free Writing Session:

We sat together as a family. Always at mealtimes. But tonight we all ran for the table when called, as tonight was the night before Advent. Everything had to be eaten tonight. There was never alot but there would be more than what we would be getting tomorrow.
Mammy had made an apple pie. I was always jealous of my older brother, Jack. He always got a fine big slice. He worked now and helped put food on the table. So Mammy always rewarded his efforts with the thickest piece of the pie. 'Eat up now, Jack. You need your energy!' she'd say with a glow in her eyes.
I'd sit patiently waiting for my slice.
Dad's was cut next and left to the side. He always liked his as part of his supper. Just before bed with a cup of tea.
I licked my lips. I watched the knife slice through the soft crust and as Mammy lifted the knife it drooled apple syrup. It dripped slowly from the blade.
I waited for my slice.
She cut her own. A small piece. Always watching her figure. Just a piece to wet her lips - just for the taste.
I was fifth in line i.e. fifth born. So I had to wait until everyone else was served before me. It was never divided equally. You earned your slice, like Jack.
Niamh's slice, she was marrying wealthy!
Tommy's slice, he played rugby!
Bernadette's slice, she was a nun!
Diarmuid's slice, he played GAA!
Then me. I was only 12 and I hadn't done my chores! I watched in anticipation. Mammy handed me a saucer. As she lowered it to my view I raised my hand to take the plate.
Crust! Just the crust! Again!
I huffed into my 'slice'.
'Well if you don't want it...' she said, still holding onto the other side of the saucer. I took the saucer and bent over it, shuffled my bum away from her in my seat and huddled over it.
'It's fine! Thank you!' I huffed.
'Enjoy it!' she said 'It's the black bread tomorrow!'END